


Sometimes a Hero Needs a Hero

by JaekLeone



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-06 20:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3147818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaekLeone/pseuds/JaekLeone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With no fire fighters on the scene, a brave officer runs into a fire to save the people trapped inside. But what happens when he, himself gets trapped?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fire

The smoke was getting thick, too thick to see much, despite the bright light of the flames illuminating the interior of the doomed structure. The makeshift mask was all but useless now; just a damp bandana tied across the officers mouth and nose, but it had been better than having nothing at all. The woman was the last, he hoped to god, and he pushed her forward through the path he'd taken to get to her, closing quickly as the blaze went out of control. The roar of the consuming flames was all he could hear; that and the choking sobs of the woman in front of him. He shouldn't have risked it, but the cries of trapped civilians had spurned him into action. There was no waiting for the firetrucks, not when people were dying.  
  
It took longer than he'd like to get down the stairs, but they reached the lower landing and the officer steered the frantic woman toward the door. He tried to speak but only coughed, so he pointed forward and gave her a gentle push. Stumbling, she headed toward the exit, toward safety, desperate to escape she starts to run for it. The officer tries to keep up but every breath is a labor now a struggle for survival. He went in too many times and now he's spent, too beaten down by the heat and smoke to get himself out with any haste. Stumbling along he feels his way, but something is wrong. Was that a crash before? Did the floors above cave, or was it closer? He can barely make out the wreckage through watering eyes, but it's unfamiliar. Did he take a wrong turn? Or was that sound the lid closing on his burning coffin; sealing him inside the structure to suffocate and perish? With no other choice, the officer turned back the way he'd come, desperate for a window or door to appear from the smoke and show him to safety. Instead all he sees is grey haze, lit by dancing orange, holding him hostage as his strength fails.  
  
He could almost swear he hears a voice, but he can't make anything out through the smoke. Suddenly, he feels an arm under his shoulder, lifting him off his knees. When did he fall? He can just see the boots past his own, trimmed with reflecting tape catching the light of the fire and shining through the smoke. There is definitely a voice now, but he can't make it out. He only barely notices when the bandana is ripped from his face and a mask pumping precious air takes its place. The strong arm drags him along, guiding him through the inferno to safety in the form of a busted out window. He's lifted, an impressive feat considering his size, and guided through the frame to another waiting fireman, who helps him keep his feet once on the other side. His rescuer follows, taking his other arm and urging him toward the flashing lights ahead.  
  
"You're gonna be okay. You're safe now." The officer can hear the voice clearly now, and he looks up to see a soot covered face smiling down at him, green eyes sparkling. "A woman came out just before the collapse and told us you'd saved her. You're very brave."  
  


The officer can only stare up at his savior with watering eyes. As they neared the lights, paramedics met them and took over. The other uniformed man left, but his rescuer stayed, keeping him upright as the neared the ambulance. They sat him gently on the bumper and started looking him over, but the officer kept glancing up at the firefighter. His hands came up to fumble with the mask and he brushed away the hands that tried to stop him. He pried the plastic form off his face and coughed a few times, his voice failing but he reached out to shake the hand of the other man. With a smile, the green eyed man obliged and his eyes flicked to the officer's chest before returning to his face. "Yamazaki-san? You're a hero, you know that right."

Officer Yamazaki shook his head and smiled but the coughs stole it from his face quickly. He pointed at the other man and choked out "who...." before his voice was lost again.

The fireman let out a laugh and with a smile wider than before he responded. "Tachibana Makoto."

"Th-thanks..." The officer smiled back and the strength left in him faded until the paramedics were left holding him up. The lifted him onto a gurney and hurried him into the ambulance. With a nod of reassurance to the green eyed rescuer, they took their leave of the scene, lights flashing.


	2. Chapter 2: How Do I Thank You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What exactly do you do to thank someone who saved your life? Sousuke isn't sure...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I tend to get distracted by life and little ficlets here and there. I'll try to be better and I hope you all like the newest chapter.

It was six long days before the hospital finally discharged Sousuke. His arms and back had been burned in places and his lungs had suffered from the massive amounts of smoke inhalation, but the doctors were pleased with his progress so far. He wasn't permitted to return to duty for at least another week, but at least he got to go home. The constant beeping of monitors and moans of pain from the other rooms were starting to get to the officer. The burn ward was not a happy place to be.

The nurses almost seemed sad to see him go, though Sousuke supposed he must be better company than most. His injuries had been ugly, but far from life threatening, and he was a good sport about treatment, never really complaining or even more than wincing. There was also the fact that several of the nurses seemed to find him attractive, as he'd discovered late one night. He would never understand what made them think whispering about him outside his room was smart, but the conversation had made him smirk. Plus they weren't the only ones glad that his face had stayed blessedly clear of any permanent damage.

His apartment was dark when he finally returned, and he barely saw the dark streak come tearing toward him before it bumped into his leg. With a chuckle, Sousuke reached town and scratched the black cat behind the ears. "I guess you missed me, huh?" The cat was on his heels as he moved farther inside, turning on a few lights as he went. "I'll have to thank Masami for feeding you, Kei."

"It wasn't any trouble, really." The woman was peeking her head in through the door with a sly smile. "Especially not for a hero."

Sousuke couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I couldn't watch people burn to death, so that makes me a hero now?" Kei was standing on the arm of the couch, nuzzling his hand for more pets. "Guess the world is shittier than I thought."

He tried to keep his tone dry but the smirk was evident. Without waiting for an invitation, Masami pushed past the door, a pizza box in hand, and took a seat on the couch beside the doting feline. "Men who risk their lives for others get called heroes, deal with it. Also heroes get free pizza from their neighbors."

There was a genuine grin now and a quiet chuckle from Sousuke. "Worth the pain now." He joined her and stole a slice, biting off a large piece and savoring the taste. Thank god he was done with hospital food.

When he originally moved in, Sousuke wasn't sure what to think of the outgoing woman nextdoor. She'd been nosy and a bit too loud at times, but she was friendly and trustworthy, and eventually he developed a grudging fondness for Misami. If ever worked kept him busy too late, she'd feed his cat and sometimes even pick up his mail, and he was glad to have her nearby. Eventually, the two became friends and sometimes Misa would crash his solo movie nights and force him to be at least a little social.

The two sat and ate in companionable silence for a few minutes before Misami spoke up again. "Wait until you see all the mail you got."

Sousuke groaned and got up from the couch. He had a feeling he was going to need a beer for this. "This ought to be good." He snagged two bottles from the fridge and placed one on the end table beside his neighbor. As soon as he returned to his place on the couch, Kei curled up in his lap, purring like a tiny motor. "How much?"

Masami's grin was wicked. "Well I have it piled in two 10cm stacks on my kitchen table." She took a bite and talked around it. "But it's only been four days since the newspaper piece on you. It'll probably get worse."

"Ugh." The beer clinked against the coffee table and Sousuke slumped, head in his hand. "How did they even find me?"

"My guess? Internet. You can find just about anything on there."

Sousuke could only shake his head. "So how long do you think before I'm some invisible jerk cop again?"

The question actually made the woman pause. "Maybe a few months? Maybe less." She finished her slice and picked up the beer. "Guess it depends when the next disaster or heroic act comes along. Could be a few weeks if you're lucky."

The officer raised his beer in solute. "Here's hoping."

His words made Misami smile. "You could get any woman-" She saw Sousuke's lip twitch in a slight smirk at that. "Shut up. Fine, you could get any man or woman you wanted with the mushy, heroic crap they wrote about you and here you are bitching because you aren't some anonymous policeman anymore."

"I didn't do this to get famous, Misa."

"No." Now she was grinning. Grinning in that way that made Sousuke want to throw the rest of the pizza at her. "You did it because you're a great big softy who likes to help people."

"Alright, now you can get out." He was smirking as he said it but he gave her a shove toward the door, almost knocking her from the couch.

Misami laughed and swatted at his hands. "Fine, I'll go...even though it's true. But first..." She stood and pulled an envelope from where she'd hidden it under the pizza box. "This one is kinda special. It's from the Engine 23 fire house. They were the ones who responded to the call first.  _And_ pulled your heroic ass from the building."

Frowning slightly, Sousuke took the envelope and tore the flap open. Inside was a get well soon card and it seemed all the men from the fire house had signed it. Right below the printed words, a slightly messy hand wrote: " _We're honored to be the hero's heroes. Get well soon, the city needs you! -Tachibana Makoto._ " _  
_

Tachibana...he was the one who saved him from the fire when he collapsed. Every time the fire turned up in his dreams there was always a twinkle of green, smiling eyes and then the fire was gone and someone was holding him up. Sousuke wondered if the fire fighter was getting any fanmail, too. If it wasn't for him, he'd have died, trapped in the inferno. "Huh. That's pretty nice of them..."

"Aww, that's so cute." The woman was standing in front of him and reading the card upside down. "It's almost like  _they_ think you're a hero, too, Sou."

Teal eyes narrowed and shot her a dirty look over the card. 

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I didn't want to crowd you too long anyway." Misami smiled and took the last sip of her beer. "I'll be around tomorrow if you need anything." She gave the cat a few quick scratches and then squeezed Sousuke's shoulder. "Enjoy a bit of you time. Seriously, though, you deserve it, Sou." The woman smiled and headed for the door, waving to her neighbor one final time before shutting herself out of his apartment.

The silence in the apartment started to stretch on as Sousuke sat with the card, absentmindedly petting Kei in his lap. Well, at least now he knew where to find Tachibana. All through his hospital stay he kept wondering how he was going to thank the other man (once he found him of course) and now he at least knew where he worked. Now if only he knew what to do for him...

Sousuke tossed the card down atop the cardboard box and picked up the remote. He reclined, a motion which only slightly upset his cat's attempt at a nap, and started flipping through Netflix, looking for a good movie to distract himself with. It was likely that tonight would be his only night of guaranteed peace. Rin had already told him they were on for drinks after he got off duty tomorrow, and someone was sure to bother him soon since, apparently, his address was common knowledge. He might as well enjoy the quiet while he had it.

On the couch, with a sleeping cat curled up on his stomach, Officer Yamazaki Sousuke pushed the fire from his mind and relaxed properly for the first time in a week. But the whole time, a little voice in the back of his mind kept nagging him. How do you thank the man who saved your life?


	3. Nothing Says Thank You Like Food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about taking forever, I'm slow to update and my brain has been everywhere lately. But something about this story just screamed for an update yesterday so I tried to get this done as quickly as possible. It's a little rough but mostly now I just want to get as much written as I can in case life happens again. (gonna be moving soon and also I'm a cosplayer so that eats up a lot of time. I just got back from Katsucon on sunday). I also want to be clear that I've never been to Japan and know nothing about the layout of any major city, so I'm pretty much basing everything on New York City which I know very well. It's Alternate Universe so I'm taking some liberties. I hope you all like it.

Turns out, there’s a gift for just about everything these days. Hours of searching on the internet had turned up gifts for more occasions than he even knew existed. In the end, Sousuke settled on one thing he knew his own department would never turn down; food. A bit of digging had turned up a local restaurant that was a favorite of Engine 23, and the owner had been more than happy to arrange to cater a lunch for them the following Friday. A few trays of their favorites seemed like the perfect thank you, but there was still something nagging him. The green eyed fire fighter, Tachibana, the one who had carried him out, he needed something special.

That was when he found the plush site, offering custom plushes with hundreds of choices for outfits. He’d been set on a bear but then he saw the little orange tiger cat with the bright green eyes and changed his mind. He’d rushed the order, making sure it’d arrive in time for him to bring it over when lunch was served. Even though he was having the food sent over, he really felt like he ought to be there to thank them in person.

Before that could happen though, it was back to work. He’d already seen Rin, his best friend and partner, several times, meeting for drinks and dinner, which meant he’d already faced his reprimanding for his recklessness as well as his proud look and praise. Much to his chagrin, he’s even received a few free meals of his own when they’d been out, and no amount of argument seemed to sway his would be admirers. The phone numbers, too, seemed to flow without cease, and normally that would please him, but they had to know he was drowning in perspective dates with his new and unwanted hero status. Surely none of them thought they were the only one to come up with the idea. Hell, a few of them had approached him in groups. Misami had spotted a few scrawled on napkins on his coffee table one night and was refusing to let up on him about it, which only served to make him grumpier about it.

As he expected, and dreaded, his arrival at the station was met with applause and cheers from his coworkers. There was a bouquet of flowers on his desk, which made him groan, but there was also a plate of cookies, so Sousuke shrugged and did his best to bear it all. After the first hour, though, things went back to normal and any hero comments he got were in jest, trying to get a rise out of him, and he’d never been more grateful for cop humor.

After catching up on paperwork, he and Rin went out on patrol, and Sousuke felt his body relax. It wasn’t always fun, being a police officer, but he was glad to be back to his normal routine. His first day back was far from exciting, which was probably for the best, but by the time he returned home he still felt tired. The odd hours officers worked took adjusting to, and his time off seemed to have ruined his patterns. At the end of the first night he managed to feed Kei and shovel something into his mouth before collapsing on the couch. He never even made it to his bed that night.

The next few days were more of the same, with a few emergency calls to break up the monotony, though most of their time was spent in the patrol car, scanning and watching for violations. By the time friday rolled around, Sousuke was actually glad to have a day off again, something he had been sure would take months after his mandatory medical leave. He packed up the cat and the card he'd bought for the company and headed out in plain, albeit nicer than usual clothes. The firehouse was 10 stops from his apartment, but Sousuke decided to get off a few early and make a detour before meeting his rescuers again. 

The scene of the fire was roped off with police tape, the structure gutted from the rage of the flames and unsafe to enter. Something about the scene was sad to him. The old 5 story building was slightly out of place among the towering structures, and with the damage the fire had done, it would probably be replaced by their like as soon as a developer got the okay to knock it down. The officer could almost feel the heat coming off of it as he eyed the damage, smell the smoke from all those nights ago. He stood quietly outside the tape, surveying the burned out structure until the reminiscing stopped and his feet started moving again. He had tried not to dwell too much on that night beyond what his dreams forced on him, but sooner or later he would have to deal with the memories. Seeing the scene was a bit jarring, but he found that the anxiety was already beginning to subside. Good, then this wouldn't stay with him forever. Really that's all that mattered in the end. His arms and back bore plenty of scars from that night, he didn't need emotional ones to go with them.

It took another 15 minutes to reach the firehouse, but the doors were open to the spring air. Two men were out front, polishing the large engine and as he came close they waved in greeting.

"Hey, aren't you that hero cop we rescued a few weeks back?" One of the men hopped down and offered a hand to Sousuke. "Hell of a thing you did, kid. A little stupid but brave as hell." The fireman was greying at the temples but his smile and eyes were youthful. Seemed like a good man to serve under.

Sousuke gripped his hand and smiled. "I've heard that a lot lately. Thanks again for pulling my dumb ass out."

The man's grin widened and he began to laugh. "I like you, kid. I'm Akihiro Suzuki, chief of the Engine 23 fire house."

"Nice to meet you, Suzuki-san. Sousuke Yamazaki, but I'm pretty sure you know that already. Did you get the call about lunch?"

The man nodded. "Yep, made sure the boys didn't bring lunch but they don't know why. Figured I'd let you be a hero one more time. C'mon, let'd go inside. Eiji, that can wait, lunch'll be here soon."

Chief Suzuki led the way inside, past the hanging uniforms and polished trucks to a lounge room that seemed to house a few too many firemen. 

"Told them they were getting a thank you lunch so needless to say they all showed up. Didn't say from who. That's your job." Suzuki winked at the policeman and turned to his men. "Alright boys listen up. In case you don't recognize him from the papers, this is the hero we had to rescue." That got a couple of chuckles from the men in the room, but it seemed good-natured enough to Sousuke so he just smirked. "Give him your full attention because this doesn't happen too often."

Sousuke nodded to the group and stepped forward. "I'm not big on words so I'll keep it brief. I just wanted to thank you for pulling my ass out of the fire. Without you all I'm sure I'd be dead, and, well, as much as this hero business seems crazy to me, it’s better to live through this than burn to death." That drew more laughs from his audience and he caught a twinkle of green to his left. Tachibana, the one who came in after him, was sitting in a chair a few feet away, listening with rapt attention and a friendly smile. "So enjoy your lunch on me." They clapped and cheered for him, or maybe the food, but either way they seemed pleased. Guess he made the right choice going with food. "Also, I got a little something extra for Tachibana." The officer nodded to his rescuer and held up the gift bag. "Mostly for lifting my heavy ass out of that window." They laughed harder at that. "My partner keeps telling me you should get a medal just for not dropping me."

 

Tachibana's cheeks were reddening quickly and he seemed to want to shrink into the floor, but he grinned from ear to ear and took the bag gently from the officer's hand. "Thanks, Yamazaki...and you're really not that heavy. I've had worse to-" He stopped abruptly as his hand brushed the fur inside the bag and he lifted the plush from the tissue paper. "Oh my god...this is so cute, look at his little boots!” The man looked the cat over with childlike glee in his eyes, fingers brushing the soft fur. “Thank you!" His face lit up like a sunny day and he gave Sousuke a one armed hug. "Just…try not to do that again, okay?"

The officer nodded and smiled. "I'll try not to"

Food arrived soon after and the firemen insisted that their benefactor stay and eat with them. Just like at the station, they teased him about being a hero and trying to steal their thunder, but all it did was make him feel more at home. He stayed much longer than he intended, long after the lunch had been polished off by second and third helpings. They all seemed content to enjoy his company until the alarm bells interrupted his visit. The on duty men hurried to the trucks, dressing with practiced motions while the others lingered to keep watch over the station.

Figuring this was a good time to bow out, Sousuke rose from his chair. "I should probably get going. I've got a cat to feed and a nosy neighbor to tell about my day. Thanks for letting me crash your lunch."

The chorus of answers let him know he was welcome back any time and two of the firemen got up to walk him out. When they reached the door, the tall blonde he remembered being called Kurou stopped him and dug in his pocket for a piece of paper. "Listen, I know this is a weird question, especially after we’ve only just met you but...you don't happen to like men, do you?"

That was certainly surprising. Maybe people weren't as secretive about their preferences as they once were, but he'd never been asked that outside of a bar. Sousuke’s brows knitted as he looked the man over. Nothing about the fireman set off any alarms, but he also had a feeling he wasn’t asking to get himself a date. "Well..." He chewed over his response for a moment before shrugging. "I'm not terribly picky. I like who I like." Despite the friendly aura, he braced himself for the reaction.

"Great." Kurou shoved a piece of paper into the officer's hand with a smirk. "Makoto has been half smitten since the fire and I thought I'd see if maybe you'd call him. He'd never ask for himself."

"I think he has terminal shyness." The black haired man chipped in; Hideki, if Sousuke remembered correctly. He'd been pretty quiet during his visit so it was hard to recall.

“Smitten? With me?” His fingers instinctively closed around the scrap of paper and he felt himself frown, surprised by what the men were saying.

“Probably has a thing for heroes.” Kurou chuckled and winked at Sousuke. “Which is hysterical considering what he does for a living. Listen, Tachibana is a sweet guy, but he sucks at acting on interests, men or women so we’re just trying to give him a little boost.”

The paper was crumpled but Sousuke could see a few scrawled numbers on it between the creases. "Hmm...I'll consider it. He's attractive at least, I can’t deny that. Though if he's that shy...not sure how well we’ll get along."

"Just think about it." Kurou slapped Sousuke on the shoulder and grinned. "Thanks again, Yamazaki. You're a good man."

They waved goodbye as the officer departed, full of delicious food and with a small scrap of paper weighing heavily in his hand. He shoved it into his pocket and started for home, pretty sure a certain pushy neighbor was going to have a lot to say about that unexpected gift.


End file.
